[Mitzie7]

I am currently working as an accountant at a manufacturing company. This obviously will not help me meet the experience requirement to become a CPA so I am out looking for a job. I interviewed the other day at a CPA firm for a position in Client Accounting. They started the interview off telling me that this is not a career track for a CPA and if I am looking to go that route then this is not the job for me. We continued to talk and at the end of the interview, one of the partners said that if I went to work for them then he would make sure that I worked on some of his auditing clients so that I could get certified. They had me do some computer tests and said that it will take two weeks before they get everything back and make a decision.

I have not been offered anything and I might not get offered the job but I am wondering if this is something I should consider? The job market is pretty bad right now – my state is one of the worst. Would the partner really let me do some auditing work? How would I be viewed in this firm if I am not working with the other CPAs?

AUD 74, 83
FAR 75
REG 71, 71, 70, 86!!!!!! 🙂
BEC 85

[IwannaBaCPA]

I am pretty sure you don't have to perform audit work in order to meet the experience requirements anymore. From what I understand, you just have to work directly under a licensed CPA. Perhaps this is specific to each state though, anyone else know?

BEC: 79 - April 2011
FAR: 78 - May 2011
AUD: 81 - May 2012
REG: 79 - October 2012
Ethics: Passed - March 2013
I am finally DONE!

[Mitzie7]

This is the info I have on this

As an applicant you are required to have completed one year (2,000 hours), of

qualifying experience in a responsible audit position under the direction and

supervision of a licensed CPA within a period of not less than one (1) year, but no

more than five (5) calendar years after.

AUD 74, 83
FAR 75
REG 71, 71, 70, 86!!!!!! 🙂
BEC 85

[Peanut]

@Mitzie7 What state is that for? I would honestly just apply to another state. I was living in NYC while I was registering, under NY laws you only need 1 year experience under ANY licensed CPA. I worked at an advertising company for a year and met my requirement. This is what I noticed researching each state… If the states have the 1 year under ANY licensed CPA rule, then they usually have the 150 credit rule. If a state has the 120 credit rule, the 1-2 years working in audit rule applies. I looked into almost every state because my perfect situation was the 120 credit rule, 1 year under any CPA. Couldn't find a state that had that though!! So yes, I would suggest just applying under a different state, most states do not have a residency requirements!

AUD 81 (X4) Previous scores 59, 72, 72
REG 80 (X3) Previous scores 59, 60
FAR 75 (X2) Previous score 67
BEC 79 (X2) Previous score 58

[Mitzie7]

Regardless of whether or not I need auditing specifically, I still need experience working for a CPA and this would get me the experience. My concern is that I would be on the wrong track since most of the work I would be doing would not be with the other CPAs.

AUD 74, 83
FAR 75
REG 71, 71, 70, 86!!!!!! 🙂
BEC 85

[Anonymous]

I don't understand what the partner meant when he said that this would not be the career track for someone trying to get their CPA. Does he mean because your supervisor would not be a licensed CPA? But technically you are all working under the licensed partner, so wouldn't that count?

It's a risk taking a job for the “promise” of getting the opportunity to work on auditing clients, but if its a way in, then it might be worth it.

Just make sure you really need the audting experience to get licensed. In California, its not a requirement regardless of what pathway you chose. Here you get an “A” or a “G” on your license depending on if you fulfilled your experience requirement with attest hours or general accounting. Either way you can call yourself a CPA, the only different is you can't sign attest reports if you have the “G” designation.

[Mitzie7]

According to my State's website I do not have to have auditing. The website says you need to have experience in one or more of the following areas and auditing is just one of the things mentioned. The partner who mentioned auditing experience is in charge of audits so I think that is why he said it.

My direct supervisor would not be a cpa. She is an accountant at the firm but not a cpa. I think they see their firm as having two sections – accounting services and professional services. The professional services are done by cpas and the accounting side does a lot of bookkeeping services, payroll tax reporting, etc for smaller clients. They want someone who will stick with the accounting services department.

I am not sure if I want to end up in public accounting. I have always worked in industry so I don't know if I would like it or not. I do want to fulfill the licensing requirements and then see what I want to do after that.

AUD 74, 83
FAR 75
REG 71, 71, 70, 86!!!!!! 🙂
BEC 85

[Anonymous]

Does it have to be your DIRECT supervisor be a licensed CPA? I thought it was just under the general supervision of a licensed CPA.

In public accounting, as a staff auditor your direct supervisor is the senior, and they probably are not licensed CPA's. But the experience still counts towards licensure because its under the general supervision of a licensed CPA (the partner?).

Im confused about this, anyone have any other insights?

[Herbieherb]

They want some peon not an aspiring cpa. If u have no job take it and keep looking, but if.you got a job already pass on it. They may not sign ur forms since it'd not direct supervision

NEW YORK- DONE

[Liz317]

I would check your state's requirements for the experience. Some states require public accounting experience and others require only work under a licensed CPA. Call your board if there are any questions, since you do not want to get this wrong.

Once you figure out what qualifies, then you may have an easier decision depending on if you want to work in industry, government, or public accounting. I was kind of in a similar boat in that I wanted to start in public accounting but because of the job market, I ended up in industry as my first job working under a CPA. In my state, that qualifies as experience. Now that I'm a CPA, I've been able to get a job in public accounting. I'm not sure where I want to end up during my career, but I want to get experience doing a little bit of everything before I decide.

FAR - 92 --- AUD - 87 --- REG - 80 --- BEC - 87
A licensed CPA in Louisiana!!!

Dear CPA Exam, You are a beast. But you WILL be defeated!

[IwannaBaCPA]

For example, CT requires:

Experience

CPA Examination candidates sitting for the CPA Exam after January 1, 2000 are required to have two years of experience in accounting, which may be in the fields of public practice, government, and industry; the key is that the work must be completed under the supervision of a CPA in good standing. (As of October 2009, aspiring Connecticut CPAs no longer need six months of experience in the attest function in order to apply for initial certification.)

BEC: 79 - April 2011
FAR: 78 - May 2011
AUD: 81 - May 2012
REG: 79 - October 2012
Ethics: Passed - March 2013
I am finally DONE!

[Author]

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